Gum Disease Symptoms

It's estimated that as many as one in three Americans do not have dental insurance. However, even if you're lucky enough to have insurance, some dental insurance companies no longer pay for the anethesia to put you out for tooth extractions. Instead, regardless of how many teeth need to be extracted, they think novocaine suffices.

Although most dentists try to be gentle, without anesthesia, tooth extractions can be an unpleasant experience. First, the dentist preps you for the novocaine shots. He or she applys a numbing agent with a swab. Next, they adminster the novocaine shots. Although the numbing agent reduces the pain, the pain from the shot through the roof of your mouth is unreal. It feels like the needle is going all the way into your sinus cavity. Liquid fire sears through the area as the novocaine slowly seeps in. As you clench the arms of the dental chair with white knucles, it is everything you can do to keep from shooting out the chair. It feels like you can't breathe, and your nose is bleeding. Furthermore, while the novocaine kills the pain, the pressure of extracting a tooth and the noise is almost just as bad. After the dentist loosens the tooth, you can hear as he or she breaks the tooth root off a piece at time. In the mean time, while tears are rolling down your cheeks, you're embarrassed and wondering whether the dentist thinks you're a big baby even though 80% of Americans are scared of the dentist. In fact, it's estimated that one in seven won't even seek dental care because of their fear of the dentist.

The good news is that there is no need to lose your teeth as you get older. If you don't want to go through this experience, it's very important you learn about gum disease and how to prevent it. In a 2005 study, researchers found that over 57% of teeth extraction over the age of 35 years old is due to gum disease. Approximately, 80% of Americans have gum disease to some extent. Furthermore, by the time you reach 65, 46% of Americans have lost six teeth or more, and 20% have lost all their natural teeth due to gum disease or tooth decay.

Unfortunately, since gum disease is usually painless, it may sneak up on you. However, there are signs. If you have any of the following the signs, you probably have gum disease. The signs of gum disease can include:

• Puffy, swollen, or tender gums
• Gums that bleed during brushing or flossing
• Bright red or shiny gums
• Receding gumlines
• Bad breath or bad taste in your mouth
• Loose teeth
• Pus between the gums and teeth
• Shifting teeth or a change in the way the teeth fit together
• Deep pockets between the gums and the teeth.
• Tooth sensitivity

Plaque is the number one enemy of gums. Plaque is a soft, sticky biofilm that clings to the teeth. Formed by oral bacteria and food residue, not only can plaque cause cavities, it can cause gum disease too. If not removed in 24 hours with brushing and flossing, the plaque forms tartar which irritates the gums. Amazingly, it's estimated there are 100 million bacteria in every milimeter of saliva from 600 different types. While some of these are good bacteria, others are silent killers. Other causes of gum disease may be:

• Diabetes or other systemic diseases - Research has shown that over 90% of people with gum disease are at risk for diabetes.
• Cigarette smoking - Tobacco smoking increases the risk of gum disease. Researchers believe this may be due to a decreased immune system response, an inflammatory repsonse, and reduced blood flow. Just as cigarette smoking increases the liklihood of gum disease, researchers have found marijuana smoking has the same effect.
• Genetics - Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have found that Individual genetic variations of the gene beta defensin 1(DEFB1) may be linked to higher rates of tooth decay and aggressive periodontitis. This gene plays a role in immune defense against invading germs. Saliva samples showed that individuals with one of three variations of this gene had higher rates of tooth decay.
• Poor diet
• Certain medications
• Pregnancy or contraceptives - Approximately half of all pregnant women suffer from gingivitis. If you're planning on becoming pregnant, you should get a thorough dental cleaning first.
• Poor oral hygiene

There are three stages of gum disease: gingivitis, periodontitis, and advanced periodontitis. Gingivitis is caused by plaque. Plaque is a biofilm that adheres to the teeth formed by bacteria and the residues of food. The toxins in plaque cause inflaammation of the gums. At this stage, gum disease is reversible.

Periodontitis is the next stage of gum. In this stage of gum disease, the ligaments and bones of the teeth become infected and inflamed. Pockets form between the teeth and the gums.

Advanced periodontitis is the last stage. In this stage, the pockets continue to get deeper and more underlying bone is destroyed.

In addition to affecting the teeth, as times goes by, researchers are finding links between other diseases and gum disease. Some of these connections include:

• Researchers have known for some time now that gum disease is linked to a greater risk for cardiovascular disease. Apparently, individuals with diseased gums release higher levels of proinflammatory bacteria into the bloodstream. These endotoxins can damage other organs as they travel through the blood.
• Gum disease may also cause elevated blood sugar levels in diabetics. In a study at the Univeristy of Edinburgh, researchers found the treatment of periodontal disese in Type 2 diabetics decreased blood sugar levels. The inflammatory effects of oral bacteria released in the blood stream may reduce the effectiveness of insulin.
• In another study, they found that men with the most severe cases of prostatitis showed signs of periodontal disease.
• Gum disease is linked to preterm births. In fact, four-fifths of preterm babies are born to mothers with serious periodontal disease.
• Gum disease and oral bacteria may also cause stillborn births. In a study published by Obstretics and Gynecology, an autopsy performed on a stillborn baby of a 35 year old woman with pregnancy-related gingivitis found Fusobacterium nucleatum, a group of bacteria commonly found in dental plaque, was the culprit.
• Currently, researchers are investigating whether there is a link between gingivitis and oral cancer.
• It may impair memory outside of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Adults over 60 years of age with high levels of the oral bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivalis, were three time more likely to forget three-word sequences after a time lapse. The higher the pathogen, the greater potential for forgetting.
• A Japanese study found an acid produced in the mouth from gum disease may promote the progression of HIV.
• A joint UK/US study linked gum disease with an increased risk of several different cancers. The five most common cancers included: colorectal, melanoma of the skin, lung, bladder, and advanced prostate cancer. After adjusting for other factors, participants were 14% more likely to develop these cancers than those without a history of gum disease.
• People with gum disease have an increased number of inflammation markers, and research has already found that chronic inflammation causes a myriad of diseases.

I don't know about you, but I think these statistics are downright scarey. Twenty years ago, who would ever imagine that gum disease could be so dangerous?

After gum disease has progressed beyone gingivitis, more aggressive treatment is required than just frequent brushing and flossing and regular dental cleaning appointments. Non-surgical interventions include root scaling and planing. For many, this will be sufficient. However, if you gum disease has progressed to an advanced stage, you may require surgical intervention too. Surgical intervention includes pocket reduction procedures, regenerative procedures, crown lengthening, and soft tissue grafts.

In pocket reduction, the periodontist folds back the gum to the tooth's root and removes calculus and plaque. When the surface is smooth again, the gum can reattatch.

Periodontal regenerative procedures restore the supporting structures of the teeth. It can include bone grafts and barrier membranes. Bone grafts are usually done when there is a need to build bone height for an implant or a denture. When teeth are extracted, the bone reabsorbs over time.

While bone grafts provide a scaffold to fill in a bone defect or build up bone, barrier membranes protecnd contain bone substitute and prevents fast-growing gum tissue frome interfering with the bone regeneration. Sometimes, bone grafts and barrier membraines are used on conjunction with each other to restore bone.

Crown lengthening is a dental procedure that needs to be done when there is not enough tooth structure above the gum to support a filling or crown. It may need to be done when a tooth breaks off at the gum or if a crown or filling falls out of the tooth, and there is extensive decay underneath.

In this procedure, the periodontist makes cuts in the gum and pulls it away from the tooth. They may either need to remove a little bit of gum tissue or bone from around the roots of the tooth. After this, the periodontist will wash the area with sterile saltwater and stitch the gums back together.

Soft tissue grafts are used when the gums have receded to cover exposed roots and protect teeth from decay, reduce tooth sensitivity, and improve the aesthetic of smile.

If you're interested in treating gum disease naturally, there are several supplements that can help. They include:

• Vitamin C - An antioxidant, the effects of vitamin C defiency have been known since the days sailors did long, ocean voyages.
• Vitamin D - Vitamin D has anti-inflammatory effects and may reduce the susceptibility to gum disease
• Coenzyme Q10 - Low levels of Coenzyme Q10 may be linked with gum disease.
• Tea tree oil - Tea tree oil is an anti-microbial. Research study participants who brushed with a tea tree oil gel twice a day showed a significant reduction in gingivitis but not plaque.
• Cranberry juice - Unsweetened cranberry juice helps prevent plaque from sticking to the teeth.
• Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, drinking green tea can reduce the risk of gum disease. In addition to its anti-inflammatory properites, it may fight oral bacteria responsible for gum disease and may prevent oral bacteria from adhering to teeth.
• Electric, oscillating, rotating toothbrush heads helped reduce gingivitis after three months in comparison to manual toothbrushes.

Gum disease not only causes problems with your teeth, but it can have other adverse health effects. Consequently, if you notice any of the symptoms of gum disease or your dentist tells you that you have gum disease, you should take it seriously. Even if you do have symptoms of gum disease, if you take care of it early enough, it may be reversible.